Ready, set, Run For the Hills!

1113 Run For the Hills

Thanks in part to the Sunrise Rotary’s Run For the Hills proceeds, members of the 2012-13 We the People Team went on to win fourth place in the 26th Annual National Finals in Washington, D.C.

Each year the Run For the Hills event offers not just a can’t-miss gathering, but one that also benefits the community.

Vestavia Hills Sunrise Rotary hosts the fundraiser to provide direct financial support to Vestavia City Schools.

“Last year, Run For the Hills proceeds were awarded to the organization We the People at the high school,” said Race Director Steve Hicks, also a medic with Vestavia Hills Fire Station 5 in Cahaba Heights. “Our $2,000 gift, raised entirely from Run For the Hills proceeds, allowed these students to travel to Washington, D.C., for a competition.”

This year Hicks worked hard to pinpoint a race date, only after vetting all manner of local and collegiate athletic calendars, as well as weekends already claimed by what he calls the Magic City’s 5K-saturated market. And on Dec. 14, it will also benefit high school students, although a slightly broader group than in 2012.

After being approached by a member of the Vestavia Hills High School Band, Hicks and fellow race committee members decided to help them out.

“Given the size of the band and the support of the band parents, it would have been crazy not to help them. With that many people helping, we think we can double the support of those who usually come out,” he said, adding that prior registration numbers have hovered just south of 200. “This year I want to see us break our top attendance record. To have 300 or more registrants come out would be phenomenal.”

While scheduling may be tricky for some, given the holiday season race date, Hicks sees it as a motivator.

“The race date is smack dab in the middle of December, and that is by design,” he said Hicks. “We all tend to eat more that time of year, so why not plan a 5K or 10K around that same time to keep things in balance?”

Speaking of balance, Hicks has done his share to make the race more appealing for all who want to participate, even if they aren’t dedicated athletes who are pounding the pavement daily. One of the first changes he made was to move the race site from its former location in Wald Park to the still challenging yet easier terrain offered by Liberty Park.

“Over the years, race turnout had deteriorated a bit,” he said. “Anecdotal feedback pointed to the race site as an issue. It was so hilly and so hard that it was turning people away. And a secondary reason had to do with scheduling. There’s no competing with football season around here. But now, we’ve removed both of those barriers.”

Apart from the 10K, 5K and 1-Mile Family Fun Run, the day’s festivities also will include refreshments, a bounce house for kids, and giveaways for first-place finishers in both the male and female divisions. Last year, first-place finishers each received $100 gift cards to Fleming’s Steakhouse.